AJEX unveils plaque to honour Dunkirk hero Martin Solomon

A World War II hero who played a crucial role in the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940 has been honoured by The Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women of the UK.

AJEX archivist Martin Sugarman unveiled a commemorative plaque honouring Lt Commander Martin Solomon at a ceremony at the Leigh Heritage Centre, attended by the local community, including representatives from the Southend Jewish community and the Southend AJEX Standard Bearer.

Sub Lieutenant Solomon, born in Kensington, London, in October 1915, was the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) commander of the Leigh boats during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.

Educated at Rugby and Christ’s College, Cambridge, he initially pursued a career in theatre management in London, working on notable productions and managing emerging stars.

In 1938, Solomon joined the RNVR and, after minimal training, became part of the Thames Naval Control based at HMS Leigh in Southend. When called to Dunkirk, he defied orders to stay behind and took command of the largest Leigh boat, Defender.

After the initial Dunkirk evacuation, Solomon returned to France to assist with the rescue efforts. He commandeered the steam tug Fossa, successfully evacuating troops despite significant challenges. His boat, Fossa, was caught on the tide while attempting to return to England, resulting in the transfer of troops to another vessel. Solomon himself returned on HMS Winchelsea.

For his bravery, Solomon was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) and later a second DSC for gallantry in operations around Tobruk, Libya. He was also mentioned in dispatches and awarded the MBE for his role in the liberation of Greece with the Special Boat Section, a precursor to the Special Boat Service.

After the war, Solomon worked as an exporter and director for Pye Marine Radio. He married Joan Vrint in 1949 and later Vida Bendix in 1956. Tragically, he died under mysterious circumstances in Madrid that same year. His contributions to the war effort were highly esteemed, and his legacy is commemorated with a plaque at the Leigh Heritage Centre.

Martin Sugarman, AJEX Archivist and author, said: “Martin Solomon was an exceptionally brave and highly decorated Royal Navy officer whose contributions during the Second World War are a source of great pride for the UK Jewish community. Although his story is not widely known, we believe this plaque will honour his legacy and highlight the significant role the Jewish community played in the fight against Nazism and for freedom. We are deeply grateful to the Leigh community for their support in making this tribute possible for future generations in Southend.”

The plaque, which serves as a lasting tribute to his bravery, was kindly sponsored by AJEX, the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation UK branch (led by Jerry Klinger in the USA), The Endeavour Trust Leigh Heritage Centre and Leigh Council.

Over the past 26 years, Martin Sugarman has made it his mission to ensure that any Jewish war grave errors that are discovered or reported are corrected. To date he has corrected hundreds of graves, listed casualties as Jews on memorials (which have no religion specified) and in addition organised many memorial plaques that have been placed in iconic locations.

• For more information or to report a war grave error, please contact AJEX.